Moose Carcass Packed with 100lbs of Explosives and Detonated

This is not a photo of the moose that exploded.

Suppose you have a rotting moose carcass, what do you think would be the best way to dispose of it? I suppose you could burn it or you could do like the Bridger-Teton National Forest officials did and blow it to pieces. Now I am sure you are wondering why on earth would you want to explode a moose.

According to The Jackson Hole News and Guide, Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel received a report from a hiker of the moose carcass’ whereabouts near the mouth of Woods Canyon. Game Warden Kyle Lash removed the head of the animal, which outwardly looked to be in good shape.

Biologist, Ben Wise, examined the moose head and found “a lot” of carotid artery worms, which can cause blindness. The animal’s lungs were also black, likely from pneumonia, but Wise’s assessment was that the parasitic worms were likely the leading cause of death. There was nothing to indicate the animal had been poached.

Bridger-Teton National Forest officials were worried about possible people-carnivore conflict and decided to dispose of a dead moose that was discovered next to a popular hiking trail. They feared that it would attract bears and may cause an issue if a hiker accidentally walked up on in while it was guarding the carcass. So they decided to blow it up.

The idea behind using explosives is that the not-so-intact body would be scavenged and thus dissipate much more quickly, reducing the odds that large carnivores would linger in an area frequented by people.

Mark Huffman from The Jackson Hole News happened to be in the area when the moose went “boom.” A forest staffer on site told him that 100 pounds of explosives were used to incinerate and distribute the rotting remains.

“It really was a large, impressive noise,” Huffman said. “The initial noise was like a crack, rather than what you would expect. You could hear [the percussion] moving around and echoing in that little, narrow canyon.”

The moose is now in little tiny pieces spread all over the canyon. I wish this was captured on video because it would be quite the sight to see.